The pivotal moment in the title race was also historic, as it marked Diego Simeone’s first-ever league win at Barcelona and Atletico’s first La Liga triumph away to the Catalan side since 2006.
Barcelona controlled the match for the majority of the game, dominating in attack. Pedri’s opener after half an hour seemed to commence an easy night for Barca. Diego Simeone’s side were completely overwhelmed in the first half, failing to register a single shot. The pattern continued after the break, and even Rodrigo de Paul’s 60th-minute equalizer scored against the run of play, appeared to be a temporary reprieve as Barcelona pressed for a winner.
Atletico shifted into defensive gear, making it difficult for the home side to find a breakthrough. Oblak delivered crucial saves to thwart Raphinha and Pedri, leaving Flick’s team with their heads in their hands on Saturday night. Robert Lewandowski’s shocking miss from close range with 15 minutes left gave Atletico a lifeline. Then, in the 97th minute, Alexander Sorloth, coming off the bench, finished a devastating counter-attack to stun Barcelona and steal all three points.
The victory propelled Atletico Madrid to the top of La Liga with their 12th consecutive win across all competitions, while Barcelona’s struggles continued, with just one win in their last seven league matches, including back-to-back defeats.
“I’m very happy with the team’s effort. We were humble enough to suffer and to defend against a team that plays very well. In the first half and I think until our goal they were far superior to us,” Simeone told reporters after the game.
“Then I think we started to find our feet a bit in the game, and we saw that we could compete in the game. The team managed to hold on,” he added.
Who’s gonna win La Liga this season? 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/O4TNmUSyVk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 21, 2024
Simeone credited his substitutes for playing a crucial role in Atletico’s hard-fought victory over a Barcelona side now sitting second, three points behind with an extra game played. “That’s what a team is, when one player comes off and another player comes on and gives a response,” Simeone said.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona could drop to third place if Real Madrid secures a win against Sevilla on Sunday. Barca’s next league game will come against Getafe on 18 January while Atletico’s next league assignment will be at home to Osasuna on 12 January.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
